blackshama's commentary on Philippine issues

As expected, President Benigno S Aquino III delivered his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Congress yesterday. The Constitution requires him to do so. The President has the right to appear before Congress in other times he sees fit. But that doesn't happen often. It usually happens if there is a national crisis. So for people who ask, why he had to deliver a SONA barely a month into his term, the answer is that the Constitution requires him to do so. A president's first SONA in all respects puts down the Presidential platform of government for the next 6 years. This is unlike the British Queen's Speech at Westminster where the government of the day writes a speech outlining the program of government . The government is always at the pleasure of Parliament and if the government loses a vote of confidence, it has to resign and the Prime Minister has to go to Buckingham Palace and ask the Queen to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections. One of the first...

President Benigno Aquino III plans to tell the truth about the corruption of the previous administration. He expects the electorate to be shocked. But I believe they won't be. The truth shall set you free, the Gospels tell us. This is true but the truth isn't enough. The success and failure of the Noynoy presidency lies on one thing. And this is sending Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her cabal behind bars. The people will not like a pardon, so he better forget entertaining that possibility. Mr Aquino can use the vast powers and persuasive or otherwise of his office to see justice is done. And perhaps this is the last chance for the Rule of Law to eliminate corruption. The other options have been tried and initially found successful until a new crop of corrupt politicians take over. History calls this the executioner's block. But that never does any good!

On Monday, Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III will give his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Congress as what the Constitution requires him to do. Wags are now having a field day on predicting what that shocking revelation could be. The blurbs say it is about the top 5 corruption allegations of the administration of ex Prez now Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which left the nation's coffers having only 100 M left. If this is true then the government is functionally bankrupt. While Noynoy won the presidency on an anti-corruption platform, I hate to say this but the wags are right. Filipinos are so inured to corruption that any revelation wouldn't be a shocker at all. What are the things that can really shock the Filipino people? The wags say 1) Mr Aquino gives a SOMS (state of my sexuality) rather than a SONA speech! 2) Mr Aquino arrests Mrs Arroyo after he gives the "shocker" speech. But of course none of that would happen!...

We are watching Gloria's SONA 2008 with the usual sprinkling of wags! Gloria again dishes out her motherhood statements and commensurate "empathy" for the poor. VAT is here to stay and probably be expanded? "Napakahalaga ng VAT sa problemang ito." (Few applause!) "T0 shore up fiscal independence" (few applause!) "Take VAT away and pull the rug out of us" (politicians! says Wag number 2) "Leadership is doing what is necessary however hard". (How about resigning? says Wag number 1,mahirap yun di ba?) "Sinusugpo daw ang kotong." (Ano? Eh di sugpuin dapat si you know who! sabi ng Wag number 1, How about large scale kotong? asks Wag number 3) "Yan ang paraan kung paano napapanatili ang pasahe sa 1 peso per liter. Texting is a way of life. Cut down text messages to 0.5 peso" (More applause). "Natural family planning curbed pop growth rate". Wag 1: "Where does she get her stats? Now she favors Catholics! ...